Citations mount at Tampa intersections with cameras

More drivers run stoplights at the northbound Lois Avenue/Hillsborough Avenue intersection than at any other red-light camera location in Tampa.

In a seven-week stretch at the location, police issued 1,274 citations.

That's 26 citations a day.

At the intersection — a central vein to enter Drew Park — police issued 735 citations to motorists turning right on red and 457 citations to people turning left on red.

John Webster, manager of Century Kia at the intersection's southwest corner, said when he works during evening hours the camera has "gotta flash 50 times — minimum."

Webster wasn't sure why the intersection draws so many red-light runners. He speculated that at night, when there's not much traffic, some drivers choose to roll right though.

Lois isn't the only Tampa road where drivers run stoplights.

During the first seven weeks that Tampa police have used cameras to ticket red-light runners at 25 locations, 12,606 citations were issued.

A red-light camera on southbound 50th Street at Adamo Drive generated 1,164 citations from Nov. 1 through Dec. 20, second-most of any Tampa location.

Westbound Gandy Boulevard at West Shore Boulevard was third, with 980 citations. That's 20 citations a day at the location, with roughly 94 percent issued to motorists accused of not stopping before making right turns.

Al Steenson, president of the Gandy/Sun Bay South Civic Association, wasn't shocked to learn how many people zip through stoplights there. He said he has witnessed people running red lights on Gandy.

Steenson said local drivers have no excuse.

"If they're coming westbound on Gandy and going north on Westshore, it kind of gives me the idea they live in this area," he said. "If they're not aware of it, then shame on them. I don't really have a lot of sympathy for them, because the cameras are clearly marked."

Sgt. Carl Giguere, whose squad views red-light camera video and issues citations, said officers hope drivers will change their habits and the number of citations issued each day eventually will decrease.

"I can't imagine any reasonable person running through that light and getting a ticket and doing the same thing over again," he said.

Asked Steenson: "How many times you got to get hit in the head before you learn to duck?"

Tampa's red-light cameras became operational Oct. 1, but the city agreed to issue motorists warnings for the first month instead of fines.

Beginning Nov. 1, the warnings were replaced by $158 citations.

City officials said that when selecting locations for cameras, they picked intersections known for having red-light violations and crashes.

Details on the number of crashes during the first six weeks of ticketing were not immediately available, Giguere said.